Lockdown Cookup: Go Tex-Mex with Josef Centeno’s No-Bake Vegetarian Enchiladas
PUBLISHED May 26th, 2021 05:00 am | UPDATED May 30th, 2021 10:09 pm
There’s something just so dangerously addictive and indulgent about Tex-Mex, and enchiladas are our favourite poison. The current lockdown measures might have separated us from our local Mexican fixes, but that won’t stop us from taking matters into our own hands, literally.
Los Angeles-based and James Beard-nominated chef Josef Centeno credits his great-grandmother for this recipe, who made these enchiladas out of resourcefulness — meat was costly to feed her 12 kids! Served with a carrot-based sofrito sauce, these vegetarian enchiladas can’t possibly come any more fragrant yet guilt-free, given the closure of gyms right now.
Ingredients (serves 4-6)
Carrot Sofrito
225g tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Enchiladas
255g queso fresco, crumbled (about 2 cups)
1 cup finely chopped cilantro
3/4 cup finely chopped red onion
Canola oil, for warming
12 corn tortillas
Mexican crema or sour cream, for drizzling
Method
Carrot Sofrito
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 105°C. In a food processor, pulse the carrots, onion and garlic until very finely chopped. Scrape the mixture into a medium bowl. Add the tomatoes to the food processor and pulse until nearly smooth.
Step 2: In a medium, deep ovenproof skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil until shimmering. Add the carrot mixture and a generous pinch of salt and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened slightly and nearly dry, 5 to 7 minutes.
Step 3: Add the tomato puree and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated, 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining 6 tablespoons of olive oil. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 1.5 hours until the carrot sofrito is very soft. Season with salt, cover and keep warm over low heat, stirring occasionally.
Enchiladas
Step 4: In a medium bowl, toss the crumbled queso fresco with the cilantro and red onion.
Step 5: In a small skillet, heat 1.5 cm of canola oil over moderately low heat. Add 1 tortilla to the skillet and cook until just pliable, about 20 seconds. Using tongs, transfer the tortilla to a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.
Step 6: Working quickly, roll a scant 1/4 cup of the cheese mixture in each tortilla and arrange them on a large platter, seam side down. Spoon the hot sofrito over the enchiladas and scatter the remaining cheese mixture on top; drizzle some of the Smoky Tomatillo Salsa and crema over them and serve, passing additional salsa and crema at the table.
Top Image: Enchiladas (Courtesy of Con Poulos)
